The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-07
thee that thou hast comrorJed my poor

1 1ler9 are CuTlSUietll poiciioo hOt -,
willing to testify to the power OF this GoSpe,
| to comfort. Your son had just graduated
| from school or college AMI was going into
business, and the Lord took him. Or your
| daughter had just graduated from the young
ladies' seminary and you thought she was
! going to be a useful woman and OF long life;
| but the Lord took her and you were tempted
| to say: "All this culture of twenty years for
nothing.m Or the little child came home
| from school with the hot fever that stopped
| not for the agonized prayer or for the Skill
full physician, and the little child was taken
| Or the babe was lifted out of your arms by
| some Quick epidemic, and you stood wonder
, ing why God ever gave you that child at all
| if SO soon he was to take it away. And yet
you are not replnlng, you are not 1ret1ul, you
are not fighting against God.
What has enabled you to stand all the
trial! Oh" you say, Il took the medicine
that God gave my sick soul. In my distress
I threw myself. at the feet Of sympathlzlng
God, and when l was too weak to pray or to
look up, he breathed into me peace that
think must be the foretaste of that Heaven
where there is neither tear, nor farewell,
nor a grave Come, all ye.who have been
out to the grave to weep there-come, all ye
comforted souls, get up off your knees. IS
there no power in this Gospel to soothe the
heart? Is there no power in this religion to
quiet the worst paro1ysm Of grief! There
comes up an answer from comforted widow
hood and orphanage and childlessness, say
ing: "Aye, aye, we are Witnesses
Again, I remark that We are witnesses OF
the fact that religion has power to give COM
posure in the last moment. saall never L0r
get the first time confronted death. we
went across the cornfelds in the country. 1
was led by my fathers hand and we came 10
the farm house were the bereavement had
come, and we saw the crowd OF wagons ana
carriages; but there was one carriage tnaG
especially attracted my boyish attention. ana
, what's that. Why those black tassels at the
topN and after it was explained to me, was
lifted up to look upon the bright face OF an
aged Christian woman who three days before
had parted in triumph. The whole scene
made all impression never forgot,
In our sermons and in our lay exhortatlons
we are very apt, when we want to bring Illus
trations OF dying triumph, to go back to some
distinguished dpersonage-to John hnoA or
Harriet Newell But L Want you loi WIZ
neSSeS.
Iwant to knew if you have ever seen any.
hing to make you believe that the religion OF
Christ can give compoSure Ill the llnal nour.
Now, in the courts, attorney. jury and Judge
will never admit mere hearsay. They de-
mand that the witness must have seen with
his own eyes, or heard with his own ears, and
so l am critical in my examination Oh you
now, and want to know whether you have
seen or heard anything that makes you be-
liave that the religion of Christ gives comfort
in the final hour
oh, YES :" YOU say, Il saw my father and
mother depart. There was great difference
in their dtathbcds. Standing by the one We
felt more veneration BY the other there was
more tenderness" Before the one you bowed
perhaps in awe In the other case you felt as
If YOU would like to go along with her. How
did they feel in that last hour! How did they
seem to act. Were they very much fright
ened: Did they take hold OF this world with
both hands as though they did not want to
give it up: "Oh, no." you say, mol remenl-
Der as though it were yesterday; she hau q
kind word for us all, and there were q few
mementoes distributed among the chlldren,
and then she told us how KIM We must be to
our father in his Loneliness, and then she
kissed us goodby and went asleep as child III
a cradle" w.,
What made her so composed! Natural
courage! No" you say; "mother was very
nervous. When the carriage inclined to the
side of the road she would cry out. She was
always rather weakly" What, then, gave
her composure. Was it because she did not
care much for you and the pang of parting
upon us a wealth of affection; no mother ever
loved her children more than mother loved
us. She showed it by the way she nursed US
when we were sick, and she toiled for us until
her strength gave out" What, then, was it
that gave her compoSure in the last hour!
Do not hide it. Be frank and let me Know
oh" you say, lit was because she was SO
good. She made the LORD her portion, anu
She had faith that she would go straight to
glory, and that we should all meet her at lost
at the foot of the throne"
Here are people who say: II saw Chl1S-
tian brother die, and he triumphed." And
some one else: II saw Christian sister die,
and she triumphed." Some one else will say:
II saw Christian daughter die and she
triumphed" Come, all ye who have Seen
the last moments of Christian, and give
testimony in this cause on trial Uncover
your heads, put your hand on the old family
Bible from which they used to read the
promises, and promis. in the presence OF
high heaven that you will tell the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
With what you have seen with your
own eyes, and from what you have
heard with your own ears, is there power III
this Gospel to give calmneSs and triumph IN
the last eXigency /. The response comes from
all sides, from young, and Old, and middle
aged: I'VE are witnesses -
You see, my friends, have not put before
you an abstraction, or chimera, or anything
like guess work. present you affidavlts of
the best men and women, living and dead.
Two witnesses in court will establish tact.
Here are not two witnesses but Thousands ot
witnesses-on earth millions of witnesses, and
in heaven a great multitude of witnesses that
no man can number, teStifying that there is
power in this religion to convert the soul, TO
give comfort in trouble, and to afford COM
posllre in the last hour
If ten men should come to you when you
are sick with appalling sickness, ana say
they had the same sickness, and TOOK
certain medicine, and it cured them, you
would probably take it. Now, suppose ten
other men should come UP and say: We
don't believe there is anything in that medi-
cine" :Well, say: have you ever tried it,"
''No. never tried it, but don't believe
there is anything in it." Of course you dis
credit their testimony. The skeptic may
come and say: ''There is no power in Your
religion" Have your ever tried it,? "Nc,
no." Then avaunt" Let me take the tes-
timony of the millions of souls that have bt en-
solaced in the last hour. We will take their
testimony as they cry: 'We are witnesses"
Some time ago Prof. Henry, of Washing
ton, discovered a new star, and the tidngs
sped by submarine telegraph. and all the
observatories were watching for that
new star Oh, hearer; looking out through
the darkness of your soul, canst thou
see bright light bcaming on thee: "WhereT'
you say, 'Where2 How can find itT' Look
along by the line of the cross OF the Son of
God. Do you not see it trembling with all
tenderness and beaming with all hopes 1t IS
the Star of Bethlehem.
Deep horror then my vitas froze.
Death struck, ceased the tide to stem,
When suddenly star arose
1t was the Star OF Bethlehem.
1t is easier for you all to become Christians
80, 4 hoo